What's an Angel, Without her Wings
by Set-My-Soul-Free
Summary: When Tara finds a small child late at night, she knows there is something about this girl that she needs to protect. The thing is, she can't do it alone, she needs the Scoobies, the only question is... Will they agree to help? First in my Caelum-verse.
1. A Heart's a Heart

**Title of Story: **What's an Angel, without her Wings?  
**Show: **Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
**Couple or Pairings?: **Tara/Willow (Obviously), Anya/Xander (Because they make me smile.) and eventually Buffy/Faith (It's just so interesting.)  
**Rated: **Teen.  
**Warnings: **There is some violence, some mature themes, eventually there will be cursing, oh and evil heavenly beings who are power corrupt.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Buffy; Tara would still be alive, Anya would still be alive, Buffy and Faith would be together, and I would magically appear in every episode with my handy dandy sidekick Kyra... okay, I would be the sidekick. Unfortunately, it belongs to Joss Whedon and he has done a marvellous job at it. Please don't sue me... All I have is ten bucks and some stuffed animals.

**Authors Note: **This takes place during the time where Willow and Tara are seperated, before Xander's wedding so him and Anya are still together and nobody who I love is dead.

**Special Thanks To: **The one girl who I willingly let shove me around and virtually beat me senseless with a grin on her face, Kyra. She is the Dahlia in my story and nobody could ever replace her... Or they would feel her wrath if they did. She is undeniably evil and quite enjoys this fact. I love her like a sister and she loves me like a punching bag... Odd relationship. Ah yes, and I dedicate this to my beloved little cousin who is the Caelum to my Tara, minus the not being able to speak and being abused by heavenly forces. However, she is my little angel and gives me a reason to smile everyday. Love you both!

**

* * *

**

**What's an Angel, without her Wings?****  
**Chapter One: A Heart's a Heart.

"**Willow, I-I've decided th-that I need to b-be more supportive tow-towards your pr-problem." **Tara shook her head quickly, that sounded too much like her girlfriend was a drug addict, which she wasn't, even if a magic addiction was the same level of seriousness to a witch as a coke problem was to certain people. It still didn't sound right to her, she had to rephrase it somehow if she was really serious about getting her redheaded witch girlfriend back. **"Will. Take me back? I'm so sorry about everything." **Now that sounded like she was all to fault, which as much as Tara had felt like that for the first few days of moving back to her own individual place. She wasn't all too blame, Willow had a legit problem, it was perfectly understandable her leaving. **"Willow, I know that neither of us is at complete fault, but I think we both had prob..." **Her train of thought was interrupted by the slap of feet against the pavement, normally it wouldn't phase her, but at three in the morning? Something wasn't right.

"**Get the child, Balthos!" **A loud growling came from the darkness that was only a few feet away from Tara, immediately she felt a chill run down her spine, this could be nothing but bad news. Looking up at the area between the darkened trees, the obvious location in which the voices were coming from, she braced herself for the worst to pop up on her and scare the living hell out of her. Instead, she got a small blonde child running out of the forest area, her small legs moving too quickly for her body to carry her properly, her feet tripping over themselves as she ran away from some unseen creature behind her. **"Get the vile thing before it escapes!"**

The loud growl shook the trees violently as the girl tried to run past Tara, tripping over her own bare feet and smashing into the pavement full-force, her face ramming up against the gravel in one grinding motion. **"Quickly, before everyone and their blood brothers find out about the pure one, we do want first dibs on her pretty little neck, right?" **Tara felt sick to her stomach, they weren't demons like she had initially thought, but they weren't exactly little bunnies that only wanted to love the girl. These vampires were just as dangerous as any demon could be, and Tara was the only one in a three block radius that could help save the girl. Immediately bending over to pluck the small girl off of the ground, Tara pulled the child behind her back as the vampires came into her sight. Nasty little bothers they were, their eyes bloodshot and faces lumped up, they wanted this girl and they were prepared to take her with or without Tara's permission. Well, she had something to say about that.

"**Stay b-back." **She spoke softly as she held her hands out in front of her, a ball of energy forming in her hands almost instantly, sort of like a immediate reaction to the impending danger. Muttering a soft incantation, "_Phasmatis tergum." _In her head, the two big bad vampires flew backwards into a tree, smacking against it painfully and sliding down the bark. Tara had a huge smile on her face as she turned around to give the little girl a high five, not remembering until the little girl pointed wildly back to the trees, that simply smacking a vampire around only left them incapacitated for a few moments. Obviously, they would get back up after.

"**Oh d-dear... Yes, we should run n-now." **Tara grasped onto the little girls arm firmly but gently, pulling her along as she started to sprint back towards her place, hopefully they could lose the two vampires as soon as possible.

Her heart pounding in her chest as hard as humanly possible, both girls felt like they were on fire as they kept running full speed towards Tara's dorm room. The small girl kept quiet as she was pulled along, feeling very much so like a rag doll, her saviour groaning softly as she felt the pang of not exactly being a marathon runner, come to her serious disadvantage. **"This is going to h-hurt in the morning." **She huffed as she reached the staircase in her building, the girl stopping dead in her tracks, not being able to run any further. Tara spun around and looked at her, not knowing if the vampires were still after them and not wanting to chance that they were. **"Hurry, sweetie." **She begged, the worried look taking up in her eyes as she loosened her tight grip on the child's forearm. Tara wasn't one for interacting with children, especially such young children, but she remembered from her childhood that small children didn't like to be grabbed that way. She certainly didn't like to be handled like that.

"**Can you keep going?" **She asked, her soft side taking over for the frightened behaviour she was currently showing to the girl, if she couldn't keep calm, how could she expect the four year old girl to be brave at all. At the child's shake of her head, Tara slipped her hands underneath the girls arms. **"I'm going to carry you, so hold on." **There was no trace of the stutter in her voice as she knew she had to be strong, like an Amazon, something that she had always told Willow. Now it was her turn to follow her own directions, and be tough. Lifting the small girl up into her arms, she held onto her tightly and started to run up the stairs for her room, a safe place for them both to hide out until the big bad vampires went away and stopped looking for the small child. She hoped it would be soon.

Unlocking her door with almost the same frantic pace that she ran all the way from the park and to her apartment building with, she practically forced the both of them inside before closing it, locking it and setting the child down. Hurrying to the window, she looked outside in time to see the two vampires they were hiding from, running past the building that the two girls were in, and breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe for at least a little while. It was only about three hours until dawn set in and then the vampires would be toast, if they weren't hiding by then. As long as they didn't think to look in that particular building, all was fine and safe for the girls.

"**Why do they want you, I mean you're just a kid, right?" **Tara went back over to the door making sure that the deadbolts were in place and it wouldn't easily be broken into, in the short amount of time she did that, the little girl went over to the window and stared out it, obviously searching for any sight of the monsters she was running from a little over ten minutes ago. She kept silent still, not speaking a single word, and confusing Tara even more than she was. **"What did they mean by pure, too?" **She spun around to face the quiet girl, her eyes finally being relaxed enough to take in what she looked like, not just physical appearance, but how she was being carried.

It made her heart ache, brown and dirty almost burlap-sack looking fabric covered the girl like a makeshift dress, her ankles and legs all cut up by deep red gashes. She was filthy, grungy and obviously hadn't been looked after in a long time. She either had parents that didn't give a damn, or she just didn't have parents.

That's when she noticed the bumps alongside the back of her dress, what on earth could they possibly be. Taking a step further, it suddenly clicked in her head, something that made her get chilled down to the bone. There wasn't a possible way that they could be what she thought they were. Tara let out a soft gasp as the significant rips and tears on the girls dress revealed the off white color that the bumps were, proving that they were indeed a part of her body and not just some rocks slipped into the dress during their flight from the vampires. **"Wings."**

She took another breath, the look on her face switching between concerned and fascinated that this little girl had white wings, or what she could see was white wings. They were probably hidden underneath the rest of her torn and tattered brown paper bag dress, because she could only see the bumps upon her bruised and scratched back, nothing fluffy and silky smooth like the actual wings of what Tara assumed she was, were supposed to be. Stumbling and stuttering once more with a look of wonder on her face, that was amazing, and puzzling.

"**Y-You're an angel?"**


	2. Ripped from the Clouds

**Title of Story: **What's an Angel, without her Wings?  
**Show: **Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
**Couple or Pairings?: **Tara/Willow (Obviously), Anya/Xander (Because they make me smile.) and eventually Buffy/Faith (It's just so interesting.)  
**Rated: **Teen.  
**Warnings: **There is some violence, some mature themes, eventually there will be cursing, oh and evil heavenly beings who are power corrupt.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Buffy; Tara would still be alive, Anya would still be alive, Buffy and Faith would be together, and I would magically appear in every episode with my handy dandy sidekick Kyra... okay, I would be the sidekick. Unfortunately, it belongs to Joss Whedon and he has done a marvellous job at it. Please don't sue me... All I have is ten bucks and some stuffed animals.

**Authors Note: **Little kids are awesome, I love this little kid in my story... She is awesome. :D I didn't have a real note, so there it is.

**Special Thanks To: **The one girl who I willingly let shove me around and virtually beat me senseless with a grin on her face, Kyra. She is the Dahlia in my story and nobody could ever replace her... Or they would feel her wrath if they did. She is undeniably evil and quite enjoys this fact. I love her like a sister and she loves me like a punching bag... Odd relationship. Ah yes, and I dedicate this to my beloved little cousin who is the Caelum to my Tara, minus the not being able to speak and being abused by heavenly forces. However, she is my little angel and gives me a reason to smile everyday. Love you both!

Also like to add in that I would like to thank everyone who has read the first chapter of this story and liked it, including but not limited to the two girls who put my story on alert (you know who you are.) and Music_of_the_wind who left me that lovely comment (okay, it was a Please write more! but lovely enough for me.) that made me give up my inhibitions and update the story a day before I planned too. For everyone else who has read the story, drop me a line or two, I would love to hear what you liked, disliked and would like to see in the future.

**

* * *

**

**What's an Angel, without her Wings?****  
**Chapter Two: Ripped from the Clouds.

"**So it's t-true then, you a-are an angel." **Tara just watched the little girl, she wasn't denying or admitting anything, but it seemed kind of obvious, why else would she have wings on her back. If it had been two and a half years earlier, Tara probably would have came up with some other conclusion, like plastic surgery. But with everything that she had seen from her time in the Scoobies gang, well, being an angel seemed like a very liable reason. At the same time, a reason that troubled her to the core, weren't angels supposed to be in heaven... not on earth in an eerie abandoned park at three in the morning with several violent vampires stalking her every single move.

The girl turned back to look at Tara, her face a mixture of confusion and at the same time shyness. Almost immediately Tara felt bad, she was making the little girl feel uncomfortable. **"It's alright sw-sweetheart, I'm n-not going to hurt you." **Clearing the books she had been looking at off of her bed, and patting the mattress to indicate the girl could sit there, she sat on the edge, not knowing what to do or what to say. She was obviously an important child, the vampires trying so hard to find her was an obvious inclination of this. The only thing was... could she even be protected? If she was an angel, and couldn't save herself, then either these vampires were really strong, or she was really too weak to handle herself. **"You can talk to me, I'm s-safe." **Tara offered a small lopsided grin as a reassurance to the girl of how she was safe, she didn't want to hurt the kid, and this kid had to know that.

The girl plopped herself down on the bed beside Tara, but still didn't speak a word, almost like she couldn't speak or didn't know how to. **"You sure are qu-quiet." **Now that was pretty darned obvious, if Tara didn't say so herself, she felt like an idiot talking to this girl and not getting a reply back, she was sure that her dorm neighbours probably thought she was crazy, talking to herself. Then again, they never had high expectations of her anyways. She had become known as the silent, strange girl since she moved into the building, a title that she had become used to quite some time ago. **"Do you even know how to speak?" **Finally, she got some type of response, even if it wasn't verbal like she had expected, the girl shook her head softly at the question.

"**That's al-alright, I don't spe-speak much. You are really, the o-only one I've spoken to for th-this long in months." **Tara reached over for the little girl, patting her on the shoulder gently, almost like she was trying to calm the child, keep her from freaking out over the current situation she was in.

Getting up from the bed, Tara moved over to her dresser and pulled out the top drawer, searching through the clothes until she located what she was looking for. A pyjama shirt that hadn't been used in months, it was a little too long for Tara's liking, falling down to about her knees, way past the length of the shorts that she normally wore with it, she didn't like the feeling of where the shorts ended and the shirt kept going. However, it was just perfect for the little girl, it would be long enough to cover most to almost all of her body, so that shorts wouldn't even be needed. Coming back over to the child, she tapped her on the shoulder softly, letting her know that she was back.

"**This should be comfortable, it's cl-clean and very soft." **

The girl held her hands straight up in the air, and at first Tara didn't understand. Did she want something? Were angels even accustomed to the whole 'put your hand in the air if you have a question' rule that you were taught in grade school. She didn't think that they would teach her that in heaven, it didn't make sense. Then it suddenly clicked in her head, a general rule that was taught to toddlers before they knew how to get dressed. Put their arms up so that their Mothers could slip whatever they were wearing or about to wear, over their head. Tara nodded in understanding, she could do this. Pulling the brown burlap sack over her head and off, she threw it on the floor. **"We'll find you something better to wear in the morning." **Before getting ready to dress the girl in what she would be wearing for the night, Tara paused when she saw, or rather didn't see, what she expected to see. The girls wings, they weren't unfolding from her back like she had fully expected them too, in fact, there was a lack of wings. Only the white nubs that she had seen through the dress, and they weren't what she had imagined.

Jagged and rugged almost like bones were, they stuck out from her back in an uncomfortable and awkward position, almost like they were pulled out of the place they were supposed to be in. It looked painful for the small girl, these almost bony structures on her back, thank god they were just little nubs of flesh and bone, not actually the length of what wings would be, those would be way too obvious and not easy to hide. None the less, it stil looked to be painful, and the girl winced as Tara's finger gently grazed the length of the longest one. It was just a gentle touch but it seemed to bother the small girl, put her in an uncomfortable moment.

"**Sorry," **Tara apologized quickly, moving her hand away from the bumps. **"Who rip-ripped them off?" **The little girl immediately pointed to the sky, causing Tara to pause for a minute. She couldn't mean god... or whatever was up there controlling it all. From what she learned, their creator was supposed to be kind, gentle and unable to cause harm. So he, she or it, definitely wouldn't be able to so brutally rip wings off of a four year old. She had to mean whatever else was up there. **"The other angels?" **She wondered aloud, the girls nod was another inclination that she had reached the correct answer, this seriously bothered her. The girl was far too sweet and innocent to have done anything worthy of having her wings ripped off.

Fluffing her pillows up a bit, she made the girl lay back in her bed, it was late at night and angel or not, the girl needed some sleep or she would be practically useless in a few hours time. **"Lie back." **She instructed softly, pulling a blanket up and over top of the girl as she did so. The little girl sunk back into the pillows, laying her head back and curling up into a small ball. **"You just rest, alright? I'll be here all night." **Tara smiled once more before looking down at the girl, the look of fear in her eyes making Tara's heart ache, she was so scared. It hurt her to think of someone hurting that little kid so bad that she didn't see safety when it was presented in front of her.

"**Here." **Tara quickly thought of an idea, moving over to her bookshelves and plucking a large stuffed elephant off of the top shelf, Willow had given it to her on their last anniversary and it had held a special place in her heart since, especially since she and her girlfriend were no more. **"He'll keep you safe." **Tara tucked it in underneath the blankets beside the little girl. Almost immediately the child's arms shot out and pulled the elephant close to her.

Brushing a few strands of grungy blonde hair out of the kid's eyes, Tara gave the blanket a final little tug, tucking it right under the girls chin and turned off the little lamp she kept right beside her bed. **"Don't worry, I'll protect you."** She whispered softly as she turned to her desk, desperate to find out what had happened to this child and how she could keep her safe. While it wasn't clear to Tara on why the angels had kicked the kid out of heaven, it was clear that this girl needed some help, or she wouldn't be making it much longer. Tara wasn't enough.

Clicking on the little phone she had gotten for her bedroom, she dialled an all too familiar number and hit the call button. Tara took a deep breath as the voice she hadn't heard in months, and hadn't expected to hear in a long while answered her call. Terrified but determined to get some help, Tara spoke up.

"**Willow, I n-need to see you, as soon as possible."**


	3. I'll Call you Steve

**Title of Story: **What's an Angel, without her Wings?  
**Show: **Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
**Couple or Pairings?: **Tara/Willow (Obviously), Anya/Xander (Because they make me smile.) and eventually Buffy/Faith (It's just so interesting.)  
**Rated: **Teen.  
**Warnings: **There is some violence, some mature themes, eventually there will be cursing, oh and evil heavenly beings who are power corrupt.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Buffy; Tara would still be alive, Anya would still be alive, Buffy and Faith would be together, and I would magically appear in every episode with my handy dandy sidekick Kyra... okay, I would be the sidekick. Unfortunately, it belongs to Joss Whedon and he has done a marvellous job at it. Please don't sue me... All I have is ten bucks and some stuffed animals.

**Authors Note: **Well, this chapter touches on a more bittersweet part. It tells you a bit more about what happened to the kid, which is the bitter part, but Tara and the girl bond some more... so that is the sweet part. I hope that you all are alright with the bit of violence I have written towards the little girl, if it makes you uncomfortable skip the italics.

**Special Thanks To: **The one girl who I willingly let shove me around and virtually beat me senseless with a grin on her face, Kyra. She is the Dahlia in my story and nobody could ever replace her... Or they would feel her wrath if they did. She is undeniably evil and quite enjoys this fact. I love her like a sister and she loves me like a punching bag... Odd relationship. Ah yes, and I dedicate this to my beloved little cousin who is the Caelum to my Tara, minus the not being able to speak and being abused by heavenly forces. However, she is my little angel and gives me a reason to smile everyday. Love you both!

An extra special "I love you!" to the three new people who have alerted my story, I think you guys are just the greatest. I would also like to extend a great big hug to MaryCain who was the third reviewer on my story, I found your comment to be absolutely lovely and I have to say that Tara is my favourite aswell. As for bringing Tara and Willow back together, well we will see. ;)

**

* * *

**

**What's an Angel, without her Wings?****  
**Chapter Three: I'll call you Steve.

"_**She's a monster, filthy grungy disgusting monster!"**_

"_**All she wants is to bring us to our knees!"**_

"_**If we let him put her in charge, we'll be doomed!"**_

"_**We have to stop her, do something to end her hold on him."**_

"_**So he can think more clearly, ofcourse."**_

"_**And so Dahlia can take control of it all!"  
"It's wrong, but it's for the best. She wants to hurt our plans."**_

"_**Do it now, we have to do it now. She's trying to leave."**_

"_**Quickly, before she gets away from here..."**_

"_**KILL HER!"**_

_The little girls eyes were wide as a crowd rose up around her, the wild look in their eyes was scaring her, what did they want from her? She didn't do anything wrong, did she? She wasn't bad! Nobody would understand that, even as she screamed it at the top of her lungs in the middle of the group, they weren't listening, their hands reaching for her, grabbing at her and pulling, ripping at her skin. The small child screamed in agony as one of the group got a hold of her wings. The looks on their faces seemed to contort into pure looks of evil as they realised her weakness. Gripping onto her tightly, they started to tug violently, little tufts of white feathers ending up in their hands as they actually succeeded in ripping her wings off. _

_They tore into them, ripping until nothing was left but the small bone that had previously held the wings up, her entire back soaked in her own blood. She was then grabbed up by one of the strongest ones, the one that was Dahlia's right hand man, Dahlia, whom was next in line to rule all of the heavens ordered him to do as she commanded, and he did, bringing the girl to the edge of the clouds, crying in pain and fear. __**"Have fun down there, child." **__He sneered as he tossed her from his beloved Dahlia's lands, watching as she flew through the air and eventually crashed into the ground below them, she would remain on earth now, while his beautiful mistress took over for her. Dahlia would regain her place as Rephraime's favourite. They had the heavens to rule together, and this girl was the only one in their way. She wasn't in their way now, and she would never again be in their way, if the fall didn't kill her, the creatures that resided below most definitely would. It brought a smile to their faces._

Tara woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, threatening to explode out of it. Lifting her head off of the desk, she was immediately reminded of what had happened the day before, and her head spun around to look at the corner of her room, where her bed was, wondering if the girl was still there. She didn't have to look far before locating the small child right beside her, holding onto her hand. Immediately realising that the girl had the same look of panic in her eyes that Tara had at that moment she woke up from the dream, Tara raised her eyebrows. **"Was that w-what happened to you?" **From the girls shaken up nod, Tara wrapped her arms around the small girl and held her tightly, being careful to not touch her wing stubs. **"You're all-alright. Nobody's going to hurt you."**

Moving her hand up to brush it against the child's forehead, Tara took one look at the kid's hair before getting up and leading the little girl over to the sink. Grabbing the bar of soap she kept there and a cloth off of the edge of the sink. **"Let's get you all cleaned up." **She spoke softly, turning the water on to a warm but tolerable temperature and ran the cloth underneath the spout of water. Turning to the little girl, she mopped up her brow and the rest of her face with a gentle precision, getting all of the dirt, mud and caked on blood off of her pretty face. **"There, now I can see you." **Watching as the little girl formed a small but noticeable grin on her face, Tara couldn't help but smile back at her, she sure was a cutie. Getting up from leaning over the sink, she walked to her jewellery box and pulled out a few plain black hair ties for her own hair and the kid's hair. Walking back over to the child, she patted her on the back. **"Now, it's time to fix your hair, it's all grungy and messed up." **She smiled softly.

The two girls giggling would be almost indefinitely contagious if anyone else had been in the room, they had started a full on bubble war with the suds from the shampoo Tara was currently using to get the tangles and knots out from the girls hair. The small child had accidentally shook her head in response to one of Tara's twenty questions, a game she decided to play so she could find out more about the kid, and well... Let's just say, bubbles went flying in all directions, spraying not only the walls, and the mirror, but Tara almost head to toe in them. In response, Tara had smeared bubbles all over the girls face, causing both girls to burst into laughter. A few more rounds of bubble flinging, and water splashing resulted in, well Tara's room was a destroyed mess, both girls were sopping wet and the bubble fight had ended almost abruptly, the two girls regaining their composure.

After a time of silence, due to Tara trying to keep herself from cursing out loud at the impossible mess that was the kid's hair, she couldn't get it to lay flat, or even still enough to put a couple of hair bands in it. **"Darn kid, do a-all angels have such messy hair?" **She teased playfully as she finally managed to put it in pigtails, the only way to get it to look at least somewhat presentable, she hadn't told the girl yet, but she was going to bring her to the Scoobies later on today, maybe they knew something about why some angels would toss a little girl from heaven.

"**We need something to call you, I can't just keep saying kid." **Tara decided almost suddenly, realising that the little girl really did need a way for Tara to introduce her to the others, plus it might make her feel comfortable.

"**Michelle... No, that doesn't sound right." **The little girl nodded her head to show that she agreed, Michelle was a terrible name. Well, not terrible but it didn't fit her. **"Sophie, perhaps? No. It is an adorable name, but it just doesn't fit you." **The girl shrugged her head, looking back up at Tara with a frown on her face. Obviously, this name thing was important to the older woman that had taken such good care of her, she hoped that Tara could find one that she liked. Tara looked back at the girl, a grin on her face as she made a particular suggestion known. **"Steven. Of course though, since I'm kind of important to you, I'll call you Steve." **The little girl immediately shook her head quickly, a look of disgust coming over her face as Tara started laughing at the kid's reaction.

"**Well, I have to call you something." **Tara was getting a little annoyed with this, it was fun coming up with names, but at the same time, finding one that would suit the little girl was a hard process that was starting to bug her. It needed to be good, but at the same time, it had to be sweet as well, something that would suit her. Coming up with one final idea, Tara immediately snapped her fingers and turned back to her books, flipping through a few pages she found something she particularly liked. **"Caelum Renou." **She declared, turning back to the child. The girl nodded her head softly, she could get used to that name, it was pretty and unusual. Something that could work.

The little girl, now officially named Caelum, looked over at her friend and smiled graciously at the new name she had found for her. Tara pulled out what she had been working on for a few hours out of the night and presented it to Caelum. It was a dress made out of one of her favourite shirts, it fit her length perfectly, so it was obviously a little large on the girl, perfect dress length for the four year old. Of course, Tara had tapered it so that it looked more like an actual dress instead of a shirt made for a twenty-two year old woman.

The girl opened her mouth wide as Tara slipped it over her head. **"Just thought you needed something to wear when you go meet my friend Willow, that'll be fun won't it?" **The girl nodded as Tara fixed the make shift dress over the small girl's shoulders and buttoned up the front of it carefully. **"Better than the sack, right?" **She smiled as she tightened the girls ponytails and helped her down from the stool in front of the sink and mirror.

Grasping onto her hand a heck of a lot gentler now that they were out of harm's way, she lead her out of the dorm and onto the sidewalk, it wasn't that far to the house, but she still wanted to get moving quickly.

"**Aw, she's such a cutie! Is she yours?" **A kind elderly woman paused as she was walking with her friend to coo and fawn over little Caelum as her and Tara left the school area and started their way through the park that separated the school and Buffy's street. Immediately Caelum looked up at Tara with almost a 'help me' expression on her face. Trying not to laugh at her serious predicament, Tara just looked back at the ladies with almost a grin of pride on her face. **"Sh-She's my uh, my niece." **The ladies looked back at her and smiled, giving the little girl one final cheek pinch before turning back to their walk, chuckling together about how adorable the little girl was. Caelum looked back at Tara and both girls started laughing almost hysterically about what just happened.

Reaching the door of the house she had called home not that long ago, she was surprised to see Dawn answer the door instead of Buffy or Willow. It was a Friday, shouldn't she be at school or something? Apparently, the young girl thought the same way because after pulling one of her surrogate mothers into a big hug, she started rambling off. **"It's a personal education day, that's why I'm not there, it's not like I'm skipping or anything. I know that I've got to stop that, so I did." **Dawn stopped when she saw the little girl clutching onto her dear friend's hand. She took almost a second to stare at the little blonde girl before looking back at Tara concerned. **"What the..."**

Tara held up a hand to calm the younger Summers girl down before she could fully freak over the four year old, and took the three of them inside. It would be easier to explain if they were all comfortable. Caelum immediately ran for the familiarity of a couch, plopping herself down on it and staring over at Tara with amazement at the television almost directly in front of her. Tara couldn't help but almost laugh at the sheer surprise of the kid, she knew she didn't have a television in her room, so it was probably the first time the kid had ever seen a box that had moving pictures in it. She had to admit, for someone who never grew up with that luxury. It must seem incredible. So she let the little girl just watch the morning cartoons that Dawn had been viewing before they had came by, while Caelum did that Tara took Dawn into the living room and started to explain.

"**And so I brought her here, I thought they could help." **Tara finished up her explanation to Dawn, the young girls eyes opening wide as she realised what that made the kid, it was all so surprising to her and at the same time, didn't surprise her at all, they were always accustomed to something like that. None the less, it made her jumpy, that's why when the door opened up, Buffy's and Willow's voices filling up the hallway, she practically jumped out of her seat. As Willow entered the kitchen she took one look at her former girlfriend and stopped in her tracks, only unfreezing for a second when Buffy's shrill voice called out from the living room, where Caelum still was.

"**Who's the little kid, guys?"**


	4. Not a Chance

**Title of Story: **What's an Angel, without her Wings?  
**Show: **Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
**Couple or Pairings?: **Tara/Willow (Obviously), Anya/Xander (Because they make me smile.) and eventually Buffy/Faith (It's just so interesting.)  
**Rated: **Teen.  
**Warnings: **There is some violence, some mature themes, eventually there will be cursing, oh and evil heavenly beings who are power corrupt.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Buffy; Tara would still be alive, Anya would still be alive, Buffy and Faith would be together, and I would magically appear in every episode with my handy dandy sidekick Kyra... okay, I would be the sidekick. Unfortunately, it belongs to Joss Whedon and he has done a marvellous job at it. Please don't sue me... All I have is ten bucks and some stuffed animals.

**Authors Note: **Well, this is quite odd. It is my fourth update in four days, and I definitly did not plan to work it like that. Let's hope that I can keep alive with the quick almost insanely quick updates, just remember, when I get a review or a new fan on my story, it makes me smile. :D Then when I smile, I let my inhibitions loose and update the story before I intend to! So, please drop me some constructive criticism, or even just a line about something that you particularly liked. If you aren't much for writing reviews, then fan my story. :) That works just as good.

**Special Thanks To: **The one girl who I willingly let shove me around and virtually beat me senseless with a grin on her face, Kyra. She is the Dahlia in my story and nobody could ever replace her... Or they would feel her wrath if they did. She is undeniably evil and quite enjoys this fact. I love her like a sister and she loves me like a punching bag... Odd relationship. Ah yes, and I dedicate this to my beloved little cousin who is the Caelum to my Tara, minus the not being able to speak and being abused by heavenly forces. However, she is my little angel and gives me a reason to smile everyday. Love you both!

Once again, a shout out to my beloved fans! (Haters/Tolerators/People who randomly click on my story.) I'm getting a lot of hits on the story. It makes me happy! Because I am practically like a two year old when it comes to my maturity when I get a fan... I'm like. "Oooooooh, fans! Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme! Must update." Anyways, the fan I am making this special shout out is to Dalmation_Rex who favourited my story. :) Thank-you for the love, and this chapter was put up just for you!

**

* * *

**

**What's an Angel, without her Wings?****  
**Chapter Four: Not a Chance.

Caelum looked up at the older blonde lady who had suddenly came into the room and a frown formed on her face, she was immediately scared. Tara had told her that they were going to see her friend Willow, and though she had accepted that the teenager that she met an hour ago was not Willow, she hadn't been very scary, so she was okay. When Tara and the other girl had disappeared into another room, well Caelum had gotten a little nervous, but she had been watching some of those moving pictures on what Tara had called the Television. However, she had expected Tara and the girl to come back, not for some other girl to come in the room. Looking around for Tara and not seeing her, the little girl immediately let out a scream, curling her body into the couch, trying to get away.

Buffy looked down at the girl who was screaming and felt bad, she hadn't mean to scare the poor kid, she was only four or so if Buffy could estimate an age. She had only meant to put her weapons away when she saw the kid, and well she had been surprised to say the least, not scared just surprised. But that scream, it certainly brought the fear out of her and she stepped into the hallway just in time to feel Tara push past her into the living room, Dawn close on her tail. Both girls stopped at the couch, the blonde that she hadn't seen in quite some time rushed to the little girls side, pulling her into a big hug and whispering calm things into her ear just long enough for the kid to stop with the ear-piercing screams. Dawn just looked concerned at the small girl before looking back at Buffy and frowning. **"You scared her, Buffy!" **She exclaimed, grabbing onto the girls hand and giving it a hard squeeze.

Both Willow and Buffy stared at each other before looking back at the three girls in front of them, concerned, confused and surprised looks mirrored on their faces. Tara turned her head to the girls and felt a pang of guilt towards the look that Dawn was giving her sister. Caelum clung to Tara for a few minutes afterwards as the whole room was waved in an air of uncomfortable silence, nobody daring to speak. Finally unhinging her arms from around the older woman's neck, the small girl sat back on the couch, Dawn plopped down beside the girl. **"Everyone, this is Caelum Renou." **Tara tried to have a small smile on her face, knowing that this was dangerous uncharted territory, she had to make them truly see who the kid was, before they got whacky notions of sending her away. Tara had to keep the girl safe, so she had to explain first or they would decide her fate prematurely.

Tara moved the little girl into Dawn's arms and got up to face her friends, before she could tell them that she needed to explain, Buffy raised an eyebrow. **"Caelum Renou?" **Tara looked between the girls in the room, out of all of them, she didn't think anyone could get the whole reference to the Latin language and she would have a hard time explaining it. **"Heaven's reject." **Immediately Tara turned to her ex-girlfriend with surprise, she knew that they both had an understanding of the language, but didn't think that she had it as memorized as she did. **"Right."**

Tara smiled for a second before turning back to Buffy, getting up from the couch and walking over to the two girls, a smile flashing on her face as she turned to Willow. **"I'll explain in the k-kitchen."**

Dawn watched as her three older sisters, well two of them weren't really but she felt like they were, left for the kitchen. Turning back over to look at Tara's new friend, Dawn looked at the girl, **"So, what were you watching?" **The teenager knew that the little girl didn't talk much or really at all, Tara had explained that, but she knew that she had left some paper and pencil crayons in the room from when she was working on her science presentation and didn't most four year olds like to draw pictures. The girl pulled a piece of paper from the table and handed it over to Dawn, obviously having clicked into the normal behaviours of little kids. **"Awh, let's see what it was." **

Pausing when she was met with the familiar look of the cast of 90210 in their normal places in the show, a couple of her favourite characters smoking behind the school and the sluttiest characterin the series on top of one of the teachers, Dawn had to gasp. She had been watching that until someone rang the doorbell, Buffy didn't like her watching it so for fear of it being her sister, she changed the channel... Obviously this kid had figured out the whole concept of the last button. **"Uhm, so Tara won't kill me, let's say that you didn't see that." **Dawn took the picture.

Shoving it under one of the couch cushions, she smiled at the kid briefly, flipping the television off quickly as the commercial ended and her show came back on at a particular... part, that was not one of the best parts for a four year old. **"You definitely did not see that." **She laughed awkwardly before turning to the pile of magazines they kept beside their couch and pulled one out of the pile. **"Let's see if there are any interesting stories in here." **She grinned flipping it open to a random page and skimming over the text until she found what looked to be a good quiz. They went through it for a few questions before Dawn calculated the answer to the quiz they had been swimming through easily. **"And your prime sex position is... what the hell am I reading?" **

In the other room, Buffy had a frown on her face as Tara tried to explain about little Caelum, sitting beside her, Willow had a different look on her face, it wasn't exactly a smile but it wasn't the same look of disproval that Buffy had, instead of being upset at Tara for saving the little kid, Willow was extremely proud. Especially after seeing the way they interacted, it was adorable. She seemed so caring towards the girl, almost like Joyce had been to everyone, which was a little creepy to see Tara as an actual mother... Not that Willow hadn't hoped for kids if they had lasted for longer than the few years, she wanted to see either one of them pregnant and the other tending to them like they were the most important thing in the world. Willow had almost intended on bringing up the subject of children, not long after she had regained Tara's mind, it had been in those days that Tara was so helpless that she felt the closest to her. However, with Buffy dying and all the chaos had followed after her best friend was brought back to life, well, it had never seemed like the appropriate time. Then they had broken up.

Shaking the thoughts of what could have been from her mind, she tried to listen to the conversation her ears perking up as Buffy and Tara seemed to be arguing. **"I just don't think that it's safe, we should hand her off to Giles and the other Watchers." **Tara had a frown on her face and started to shake her head, was Buffy crazy or what? The little girl needed more than just the care of the Watcher's, she needed motherly tenderness. **"Buffy, it's not a good idea." **Tara didn't want to get too violent in her arguments for keeping the little girl, that could easily get messy, plus Buffy was Willow's best friend and well, Tara didn't know whose side the redhead would be on. **"Tara, they will take good care of her, I swear on Dawn's life. Giles just knows what to do when it comes to special cases like this." **Shaking her head quickly, Tara got up from the chair and practically ran into the living room, snatching little Caelum up from the couch and positioning her on her hip. **"There is no chance in this world that I am going to risk her life."**

The three girls followed Tara out the front door and onto the porch, Dawn looking confused as she followed behind them, but somehow agreeing with Tara, even though she didn't know what the argument was about. She just knew that it had to be serious if the blonde was getting so upset. **"Tara, Buffy didn't mean it like that!" **Willow called after her ex, while Buffy put her hands on her hips, obviously upset that Tara wasn't agreeing with her. Normally, everyone agreed with what she had to say. **"Come on Tara!" **She shouted upset as Tara strode off, turning back only once.

"**She came to me for help Buffy, I'm not going to just pawn her off on someone else. Once I promise to help someone, I don't let them down. Especially not someone that needs me so much."**


	5. Something Wicked

**Title of Story: **What's an Angel, without her Wings?  
**Show: **Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
**Couple or Pairings?: **Tara/Willow (Obviously), Anya/Xander (Because they make me smile.) and eventually Buffy/Faith (It's just so interesting.)  
**Rated: **Teen.  
**Warnings: **There is some violence, some mature themes, eventually there will be cursing, oh and evil heavenly beings who are power corrupt.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Buffy; Tara would still be alive, Anya would still be alive, Buffy and Faith would be together, and I would magically appear in every episode with my handy dandy sidekick Kyra... okay, I would be the sidekick. Unfortunately, it belongs to Joss Whedon and he has done a marvellous job at it. Please don't sue me... All I have is ten bucks and some stuffed animals.

**Authors Note: **Well, this chapter is a major cliffhanger. So, I hope you all forgive me for it. I hope it's interesting enough to draw in your attention.

**Special Thanks To: **The one girl who I willingly let shove me around and virtually beat me senseless with a grin on her face, Kyra. She is the Dahlia in my story and nobody could ever replace her... Or they would feel her wrath if they did. She is undeniably evil and quite enjoys this fact. I love her like a sister and she loves me like a punching bag... Odd relationship. Ah yes, and I dedicate this to my beloved little cousin who is the Caelum to my Tara, minus the not being able to speak and being abused by heavenly forces. However, she is my little angel and gives me a reason to smile everyday. Love you both!

Just a small shout out to the people still following my story, I love you all! If you want to show me your love, write up what you liked or didn't like about the story, or something you'd like to see later.

**

* * *

**

**What's an Angel, without her Wings?****  
**Chapter Five: Something Wicked.

"**You did me wrong Averem, I told you to get rid of her." **Dahlia's eyes were dark and downcast as she stared at her right hand man, she was more than furious with the way he had handled the little problem, even though she had been barking commands at him left and right. He should have done it better. Now that little brat was walking around down there, sure a little wingless, which brought an eerie smirk to her face whenever she thought about it, but it did trouble her a bit. If this kid was half as strong as Dahlia's father had gone on about, well, then she could find a way back up to the heavens. If Dahlia wasn't crowned by then, it could put a damper on her plans. **"Whenever I ask you to do something for me, you always find a way to mess it up. If you weren't so loyal to me, I would have locked your pathetic ass up by now." **She went on, as she ripped the glass of chardonnay off of the silver platter he held out to her, downing it in a single gulp before throwing the glass against her bedroom wall.

Looking back at Averem for only a moment, she paused before starting to shriek. **"What are you staring at you ignorant oaf! Go get me another glass of the best, and while you're gone you better come up with something to get rid of that repulsive thing, or I'll toss you down there after her!" **Averem looked at Dahlia for merely a second before following after her orders, he was quite respective of her wishes and had always been... It was safe to say that Averem had a huge crush on his beloved dark mistress. One that Dahlia exploited, but did not return.

"**Buffy! How could you have even imagined that she would give the kid up?" **Dawn was flabbergasted as Willow explained the reason why Tara ran off so quickly, or at least the conversation that sparked her to leave. Thinking back Buffy did realise that she should have made it seem less like she didn't want to handle it, and more of she didn't know if she could actually keep the girl safe, but she kept up her idea, it would be safer to let the Watcher's handle this, they knew how to deal with this better than she did. Buffy was used to staking all of her problems, just stabbing them into oblivion, instead of having to protect the things that were not of the normal. However, Dawn was taking a different approach to her sister's decision, she had immediately taken a liking to Caelum, she was someone that Dawn could take care of, instead of being the one that always had to be cared for. She liked helping.

"**Dawn, I didn't want you to get hu... Dawn!" **She yelled after her little sister as the teenager stomped upstairs, turning back to shout down the stairs in the angriest and most angst-filled teen voice she could emit without sounding childish. **"Sometimes it isn't always about me Buffy! I'm not the only kid in the world that matters!"**

Reaching her room, Dawn pulled on her jacket and went to her window almost immediately, a plan forming in her mind as she thought about the way Tara was treating the new kid. Maybe she would let Dawn stay with her for a few days to help her out with the girl, I mean she did take a babysitting course, she was definitely some use.

Swooping herself down from her window onto the porch roof, Dawn took a bit of a jump and hit the ground, not painfully but with some force that she had to cry out. Realising that the kitchen window was still open, she covered her mouth quickly and took off at a sprint, if Buffy found her sneaking out, she would be in some pretty big trouble, even if it was in the middle of the afternoon. But, Dawn had to get to Tara, even if it was just to hang out with the older girl that she had considered a sister, if not an actual motherly influence after her Mom had died.

Taking a walk in the park, she found herself wondering about the kid, especially what Tara had said the girl being thrown from heaven, she was such a cute little kid and so gentle, who could want to hurt her? It was these things that made Dawn get distracted from the straight and narrow path to Tara's dorm room, and not even looking around at her surroundings, knocking face first into a gentleman taking a stroll down the same path, just the opposite direction. **"Oh! I am so sorry." **She immediately started apologizing, bending down to pick up the books that he had dropped to the ground when they collided. Grabbing a few of the novels, she paused to read the titles.

Her curiosity had gotten the best of her once again, and after a long pause, she had a smile on her face as she handed the books back to the man, whom Dawn had just noticed was a fairly young guy, couldn't be much older than she was, maybe a year or two and was, if she had to admit. Quite undoubtedly handsome.

"**Demons of the Past, Spells and Incantations for Beginners? Are you into magic and the supernatural as well?" **

She had almost a hopeful tone to her voice, she wasn't really included in Buffy's group when it came to stuff like that, but it didn't mean that she didn't find any of it interesting. Unfortunately, most fifteen and sixteen year old boys were interested in getting inside of girls clothes, not getting inside of the pull of a good historical lesson on the supernatural beings that her sister fought almost every day. As he pulled his head upwards, Dawn couldn't help but smile even brighter as she stared into his eyes. They were a gorgeous light blue and almost grey color, a shade that she couldn't put her finger on but had seen just recently. **"I find all of this stuff so interesting, although I'm surprised a girl as pretty as you is more into the dark side of nature, rather than all that cosmetic and hair stuff you find in magazines." **He took the book from her, piling it on top of his stack of novels.

Dawn couldn't help but swoon under his words, he really knew how to charm people, and he wasn't that old, maybe if she introduced him to Buffy right, she might let the younger girl go out with him a bit. Realising he was probably waiting for more of a conversation Dawn started nodding and spoke with a bit of ramble. **"Oh yeah, I just love all this stuff! So does my sister, well she doesn't love it as much as tolerate it... but her friends Willow and Tara just can't get enough of it! Their witches... Well, Wiccan, but that's the same thing, right?" **She had to practically shut herself up to stop her from squealing in excitement, it was a teenage girl thing, to freak out over a cute boy.

"**My sister is a witch too, well not a witch, but she has powers. If you'd like to meet her, our house is only over there." **The boy pointed at a row of townhouses at the other side of the park, offering her a hand to pull her off of the ground, flashing her a warm smile. **"Sure, I'd love to meet her." **His smile brightened as he lead the way, practically holding her hand as he pulled her along eagerly, Dawn not even noticing how excited he was for her to meet his 'sister', she was too busy looking at his face and his hair and his muscled arms.

Reaching the house, the guy all but kicked in the door as both of them entered the main foyer, his hand reaching behind and locking the door behind them, a tall figure descending down the staircase as he did so. Dawn immediately sensed a feeling of something not being good and turned back to the door, wanting to leave but not being able to as the boy she had been fawning over just a few minutes ago stood in front of it. **"I-I want to leave." **She stuttered as the person on the stairs lifted the hood of her cloak to show her face, Dawn gave a small gasp as the realisation of where she had seen those eyes clicked in, they were the exact same color as Caelum's. **"Whatever you are, j-just let me go, my sister's going to be really mad!" **

The young man paid no attention to Dawn as he looked up at his mistress, a smile coming across his charming face. **"Now that we have her Dahlia, what are we planning to do to her?" **He asked, an almost evil smirk taking place of the gorgeous smile he had been flaunting only ten or so minutes ago. Dahlia looked back at him, her own evil smirk taking place on her face.

"**Averem, Averem, my dear Averem. She was seen with that blonde girl who has been taking care of the child, so obviously she knows where we can find them. Darling Averem, the real question isn't what we are going to do to her, but really... what aren't we going to do to her?"**


	6. Life's Little Agony's

**Title of Story: **What's an Angel, without her Wings?  
**Show: **Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
**Couple or Pairings?: **Tara/Willow (Obviously), Anya/Xander (Because they make me smile.) and eventually Buffy/Faith (It's just so interesting.)  
**Rated: **Teen.  
**Warnings: **There is some violence, some mature themes, eventually there will be cursing, oh and evil heavenly beings who are power corrupt.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Buffy; Tara would still be alive, Anya would still be alive, Buffy and Faith would be together, and I would magically appear in every episode with my handy dandy sidekick Kyra... okay, I would be the sidekick. Unfortunately, it belongs to Joss Whedon and he has done a marvellous job at it. Please don't sue me... All I have is ten bucks and some stuffed animals.

**Authors Note: **Alright my beloved fans, the cliffhanger is over and you find out what happens... I warn you, this will make you sad and probably cringe. So be careful if your easily freaked.

**Special Thanks To: **The one girl who I willingly let shove me around and virtually beat me senseless with a grin on her face, Kyra. She is the Dahlia in my story and nobody could ever replace her... Or they would feel her wrath if they did. She is undeniably evil and quite enjoys this fact. I love her like a sister and she loves me like a punching bag... Odd relationship. Ah yes, and I dedicate this to my beloved little cousin who is the Caelum to my Tara, minus the not being able to speak and being abused by heavenly forces. However, she is my little angel and gives me a reason to smile everyday. Love you both!

**

* * *

**

**What's an Angel, without her Wings?****  
**Chapter Six: Life's little Agony's.

Dawn gulped, her heart thumping in her chest as she turned away from the two clearly dangerous individuals, and tried to think of a way to get out of there quickly. She was scared to say the least, and a little disappointed that the guy she thought was so cute, turned out to be just another bad one. **"My sister won't let you hurt me!" **She declared crossing her arms in front of her chest, trying to act tough, but really protecting herself from whatever they were going to do to her. She tried to make herself as small as possible as Averem and Dahlia circled around her, pinching and prodding at her arms. **"Please don't hurt me." **Dawn whimpered, her eyes filling with tears as she realised just how much trouble she was in, Buffy didn't even know she had left her room, let alone where she was going. Her big sister had always kept her out of trouble, and for this one time... Buffy couldn't save her.

Averem and Dahlia shared a glance before the two of them grabbed Dawns arms and dragged her to a chair in the middle of the living room, the only piece of furniture in there. Averem took over and slammed the little girl down into her seat and stood across from her a malicious look in his eyes. Dahlia gave him a small swat, practically pushing him out of the way and she looked Dawn directly in the eyes, her own face emitting a kind of scary evil glare. **"You can be let go right now... If you tell us where the blonde girl is." **Dahlia grinned as Dawn's eyes went round and started sputtering wildly about how she couldn't be expected to blurt it out.

With each word that Dawn kept talking about how she wasn't going to tell and how she couldn't tell because Tara was her very best friend, and the little girl was important to Tara, Dahlia kept getting more and more thoroughly annoyed with the teen. **"I'm getting very bored." **She finally admitted as she let Averem stand back in front of the quivering teenager, handing him a thin razor blade that she had secured from a local convenient store earlier on and started to walk out the room, turning back to smile a sickeningly sweet smile to Dawn. **"Averem, you can enjoy yourself for the next hour, as soon as she says a word, call me." **

Averem looked almost ecstatic as his mistress left the room, his eyes falling on the young girl, as she looked back at him, her eyes wild with fear as she started to beg for him to leave her alone. **"You can let me go... and say that I escaped. Please... Please don't hurt me! I beg of you... I mean, I trusted you a lot... You can't hurt me, please." **She whimpered, her voice getting smaller and smaller with every single word that she said, her assailants gaze not softening even a little bit as he listened to her plea. Just as soon as she thought she was getting somewhere, Averem leaned across to Dawn and slit a mark into her shoulder about an inch and a half long, in order to get her to be quiet for just a few moments. Apparently it worked, because immediately the look on her face changed from begging to almost crying as the tears rolled down her cheeks from the pain. **"Shut up." **He demanded as he wiped the razor blade clean from the girl's blood, the smirk he carried contorting from pure evil to crazy.

Dawn just watched in fear as Averem strapped her to the chair with a few belts that had came in the closet of the house, he tied them painfully to her wrists, tightening them until there was no possible way she could move her hands an inch, let alone get her arms free and escape. Averem spared no force as he gave a final tug at them, letting the sides of the hard leather cut into her arms and forearms painfully, leaving an indent that was just evident enough to remain a mark for the next week or so. Not very pleasant at all, in other words.

"**You can stop this all now and tell the mistress where the kid is." **Averem offered politely as he took a step towards her, his fingers tracing the spot where he was going to make another incision, along her forearm. Dawn just shook her head hesitantly but defiantly, even with how scared she was, she had to be strong like her friend Tara was. When faced with telling Glory the truth about the key, Tara could have just given up the information and been absolutely fine in the end, she chose to keep her mouth shut though and lost her sanity because of it. The blonde had been strong in torture to keep her secret, now Dawn had to be just as strong and keep Tara's little secret safe. She owed it to the older girl and the little girl. These guys were bad news, and Caelum was too small to keep herself safe, obviously, so the people who were caring for the angel had to do their best to save her.

"**No." **She managed to squeak out, stubborn determination displayed on her face.

The look in her eyes quickly changed from brave to pain as Averem dug his razor back into Dawn's flesh leaving a long line from the inside of her elbow to about an inch above her wrist, the sixteen year olds screams echoing in the living room as she felt the blade nick her delicate veins. The pain burned like a white hot poker, leaving the teenager in agony as he continued on with his "carving" masterpiece, making a few more cuts here and there, some nicks in her fine ivory skin and the future prospect of scars all over her arms and legs.

"**Want a few more?" **Averem asked as Dahlia came into the room, clear annoyance on her face. **"Mistress..." **He paused as she grabbeda hold of the kid's chair and spun it around to face her, her eyes flaring up with pure anger. **"These cuts are not enough... You tell us now, brat. I'm tired of waiting." **Whipping out her hand and slowly pulling the glove off of her fingers, she held her pinky up to Dawn's collarbone, the red-orange shine of a fresh coat of nail polish glimmering in the small flicker of light from the ceiling chandelier. **"This is demon's egg poison, I made it into nail paint. It will make you feel the most agony you have ever felt in your life, you want to risk it babe? I'm not scared of hurting you." **She pressed the tip of her nail into Dawn's flesh, leaving a streak of the still wet polish across the bone, it burning her slightly as it grazed by.

Biting the inside of her cheek to keep her from screaming, Dawn shook her head once more, tears welling up in her eyes as Dahlia shrugged and sliced into her neck, a thin line of blood appearing at the seams of the cut. Only being able to hold out for a few seconds, Dawn started screaming as the poison set into her skin and really made her head swim with burning hot flashes and ice cold touches, the skin feeling like it was being pulled back with every second. **"Please, stop it!" **She screamed as Dahlia scraped another line into her neck, making it intersect with the first one, almost making an 'x' shape. She felt herself going woozy, the pain searing through her skull. Dahlia lifted her finger up to the top of the girls brow, starting another long cut all the way down Dawn's face, sliding down towards her chin, the teenage girl screaming at the top of her lungs. **"Fine! I'll tell you, I'll tell... Just please, please it hurts so bad. I can feel it burning me, my skin... It hurts... p-pleeease." **Her tears rolled down her face as she begged for mercy, every millimetre of her neck and face stinging and scalding almost simultaneously.

"**T-Tara's dorm is in Miller Hall... Number 617, just please. Don't hurt me anymore." **The tears didn't stop as the bounds were released and Dawn fell to the ground, shaking in a cold sweat as the poison still infected her. Averem knowing what his mistress would want, picking up her frail body as they left the house and made their way into the park, it had turned dusk in the time that had been spent with the littlest Summers and barely anyone was out and about in the section of the park that they had settled in. Averem placed their hostage on the ground, just as Dahlia bent down over the child, a small silver orb drifting out of the teenager's ear. **"What are you doing?"** He asked in amazement as Dahlia made the orb disappear, Dawn out cold from exhaustion and pain.

"**We need to think our plan out thoroughly, and well... We can't have the little brat spoiling our plans by telling them that we are coming. Just a quick mind wipe and she will wake up tomorrow, feeling nothing but pain. Unfortunately for her, with no memories of how that pain got there."**


	7. Connected to the Heart

**Title of Story: **What's an Angel, without her Wings?  
**Show: **Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
**Couple or Pairings?: **Tara/Willow (Obviously), Anya/Xander (Because they make me smile.) and eventually Buffy/Faith (It's just so interesting.)  
**Rated: **Teen.  
**Warnings: **There is some violence, some mature themes, eventually there will be cursing, oh and evil heavenly beings who are power corrupt.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Buffy; Tara would still be alive, Anya would still be alive, Buffy and Faith would be together, and I would magically appear in every episode with my handy dandy sidekick Kyra... okay, I would be the sidekick. Unfortunately, it belongs to Joss Whedon and he has done a marvellous job at it. Please don't sue me... All I have is ten bucks and some stuffed animals.

**Authors Note: **I hit a bit of a writers block, so unless I find the muse this will be the last chapter for a few days... Maybe a week unless I get cured. If anyone has comments on the story, it would be nice to read them. :) Might even give me a bit of a muse if I know more then ten people are reading the story. :P Ohwell, I'll try hard for you guys.

**Special Thanks To: **The one girl who I willingly let shove me around and virtually beat me senseless with a grin on her face, Kyra. She is the Dahlia in my story and nobody could ever replace her... Or they would feel her wrath if they did. She is undeniably evil and quite enjoys this fact. I love her like a sister and she loves me like a punching bag... Odd relationship. Ah yes, and I dedicate this to my beloved little cousin who is the Caelum to my Tara, minus the not being able to speak and being abused by heavenly forces. However, she is my little angel and gives me a reason to smile everyday. Love you both!

**

* * *

**

**What's an Angel, without her Wings?****  
**Chapter Seven: Connected to the Heart.

"_**It hurts... oh god, it hurts so much... Please, someone stop the pain. I can't, I can't make it go away. It hurts me so much."**__ Dawn's fingers curled into a tight ball as she clenched her fist, trying to concentrate on something besides the sting of the venom settling into her skin. __**"Oh god! It hurts so much... AGH!" **__She finally screamed out, her voice wavering in volumes as she started to cry, having no one there to comfort her or help her._

Caelum's head flew into the air, her eyes glancing around quickly as the scream echoed in her mind, it sounded so real, so close to her that it couldn't be just another dream. Plus, the girl in her dream, the one that was crumpled on the ground in pain, she looked like the brunette that she had read with earlier. She couldn't see her too well, it was dark and the bushes covered most of her body, but the voice seemed familiar and she couldn't shake it from her thoughts. The small girl felt her chest clench up as she felt an unwanted presence, someone who definitely was familiar, from a long time ago, and immediately jumped off of the bed, her heart racing quickly. They couldn't be here... they had kicked her out of heaven, so why would they come and find her. She was gone, like they wanted.

Backing up so that her back rested against the wall, the child curled up into her own little ball, tucking her knees up to her chest and rocking back in forth in fear, she liked it here and didn't want them to find her at any costs. They would ruin everything, they would hurt the nice Tara lady. Immediately, it clicked into Caelum's head. Tara's young friend Dawn's screams and pain, why Caelum could see them, and it made the girl sick. Her abusers had found where she was, and were already starting to hurt the people that the kid knew and/or cared about. Letting out a cry of pent-up frustration, anger and even a little bit of sadness, she had her fists clenched up tight as she tried to connect with the teenager. She had to find Tara's friend, before she got hurt too badly.

That was how Tara found Caelum when she returned from her shower. Clutching onto her own knees so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, her eyes close and scrunched up like she was focusing and a frown on her face. Looking quizzically at the child Tara crossed the room in a flash, gently touching her arm. **"You alright?" **She voiced genuine motherly concern towards the scared child. About to touch the girls arm again, Caelum's eyes fluttered open and she grabbed Tara's arm quickly, jumping off of the bed.

"**Caelum!" **Tara cried out as she was spun around and practically torn through the door after her little friend, not having a chance to even slip on her shoes, just glad that she had changed into the washroom because they were out into the night sky before Tara could complain. Obviously this was important to the little girl, so she had to follow her closely, Caelum probably would need Tara's help, after all she was just a bitty girl.

So she followed her into the park, both girls shivering in the night breeze, but Caelum seemed to know where she was going, and she dragged her friend into the darkest part of the park determined to find what she was knew was there somewhere. Tara just watched as Caelum released her hand and started going through the bushes to one side. The little girl seemed practically desperate as she went through them as quickly as she could, almost like if she didn't find this thing, everything would be terribly wrong. Clearing some brush away, Tara leapt forward and grabbed onto Caelum's hand quickly, trying to calm her down before she worked herself into sickness.

"**Caelum, sweetie... What's wrong, love. What are you trying to find hunnie, what's gotten you so ups..." **Tara paused as she looked into the clearing where Caelum was, her heart stopping in her chest, there was a figure on the ground, and even with the lack of light, she could make out who it was... Dawn.

"**Oh my god, Dawnie!" **Tara jumped into the clearing, pulling Caelum out of the way so that she could inspect the younger girl for injuries and what had happened to her. Silently praying in her head that Dawn had just fallen asleep or something, she kept muttering to the gods about how the teenager was too young and innocent to die.

Her breathing was laboured as she checked her fallen friend's pulse, letting out a sigh of relief that she was still alive, but hurting inside over the fact that cuts and bruises covered almost every inch and space on Dawn's thin frame. Something was telling Tara that it wasn't just a normal attack that had left the sixteen year old bleeding and harmed in the woods, but that didn't make her feel any better. If it wasn't a mugging, was it something worse? Did the black and purple cut marks all over Dawn's neck mean something bad... was she hurt by a demon or a creature like it, could this have everlasting effects on the girls health? She was worried even more so then before.

"**C-Caelum... Stay close to me." **Tara warned as she held the four year old close to herself, if the thing that had attacked her friend was still out there, she didn't want either of them to be vulnerable to being the next victim.

While she clutched the girl, her mind was working for her, trying to call out to Willow desperately, knowing that there was no way she could possibly carry Dawn all the way back to the house, and leaving Dawn by herself would be stupid, she could get even more hurt than before, someone could take advantage of her in this state. If she had been with anyone else, she would have had one of them stay with Dawn and the other run for help, but leaving Caelum here alone with Dawn was out of the question and making the small girl run to the house by herself was just as bad, she didn't know where the house was... Plus, what if she got hurt while running. Tara hated herself at that moment for not having a cell phone, by not getting one, she claimed that she was saving the environment, but it would be really useful at this particular moment if she had one on her.

"_**Willow, please... Hear me. Dawn needs our help now... Willow, I need your help." **_Tara's words echoed in her mind, trying desperately to contact her ex-girlfriend, knowing that she had given up magic long ago but hoping that she could still hear her. Tara was scared of what was going on, and the fact that Caelum knew that something was wrong... only made her even more uncomfortable. Did this have to do with the little girl, had Tara put them all in danger by taking her in... It worried her and made her upset. She didn't want her friends to get hurt.

Looking down at Dawn, Tara climbed over her to get to the other side, inspecting her face for cuts and scrapes and was disheartened to find a long thin cut slowly turning purple from infection or something over her eyebrow down to her chin. **"Oh god Dawnie... What happened to you?" **Tara whispered as she lifted the teenagers head into her lap, cradling the girl close to her, repeating the same thing she had said over and over again in her head, hoping that Willow wasn't that far off. Caelum climbed around the branches and cuddled close to Tara, her bare hands trying to wipe the blood off of the teenager's brow, it made her sad that the nice girl was hurting. She liked her.

Hearing a crunch of the leaves, Tara was prepared to shield them with a couple of spells she had memorized for just the occasion. Both girls looked up in fear as they prepared for whatever had hurt Dawn to come after them, fortunately, they were surprised when Willow's face popped out from the clearing, her face breaking into a big grin as she saw Tara in one piece. **"Oh thank god!" **She cried out, ready to throw herself over the brush and into the blonde's arms when she noticed the floor of the park. **"Dawnie..." **She paused, a question in her eyes as Tara nodded softly. Willow clasped a hand over her mouth as Buffy popped over the brush on the other side of her.

"**What's wrong?" **She asked for a second before noticing who was huddled on the ground. **"Dawn!" **She practically screamed, leaping over what was left of the branches and plucking her kid sister out of Tara's arms, worry taking over her face as she shook her. **"She's alright isn't she?" **She cried out upset, blinking back tears and anger.

"**I-I don't k-know."**


End file.
